Mending Trust
by Robert Teague
Summary: After "Adventures in Rufus-Sitting", Ron finds out Kim lied to him. Again.


Mending Trust 

by Robert Teague rteague AT bellsouth DOT net

This story is written solely for the entertainment of Kim Possible fans, and no copyright infringment is intended. This story may be reproduced, provided no changes are made, and you let me know.

Author's Note:

This is just a short piece that came to me while working on "Legacy in Green and Black"  
but has no connection with it.

In the 11-minute episode "Adventures in Rufus-Sitting", the Stoppables went on vacation to Paris, and Ron left Rufus in Kim's care. Rufus accidentally swallowed an advanced greeting-card microchip, and was a target for Monkey Fist, Killigan, and Shego.

At one point, a souvenier picture was taken of the Stoppables on the Eiffel Tower. Just by coincidence, a parachuting Duff Killigan, with Kim and Rufus on his back, was included in the background. Ron had called shortly before, and Kim had let him think she and Rufus were still at home.

Ever wonder what happened when Ron saw the picture? Here's my take.

8888888

Ron Stoppable approached the lunchroom table where his lifelong best friend Kim Possible sat, poking gingerly at the glob of unidentifiable goop on her plate.

"Hey, Ron," she said, hesatantly taking a small bite. It didn't bite back, surprisingly.

"Hey," he said, sitting down with a plate of identical goop.

"It's not too bad today," she said, "I can taste meat and potatoes in it."

"What can you tell me about this?" asked Ron, casually sliding a glossy photo over to her.

She picked it up and studied it. "Well, that's you and your parents... and that's me and Rufus on Duff Killigan's back... where was this taken? I don't recognize it."

"Last year, when my parents and I went to Paris," he answered.

She looked at him, confused.

"I left Rufus with you while we were gone," he added.

Kim's emerald green eyes widened.

"I talked to you not five minutes earlier, and you let me think you were both safe at home," he said, a bit of heat in his voice.

Kim turned red, and put her hand over her mouth.

"You lied to me, Kim," he said softly.

Kim closed her eyes and dropped her head in shame. "You're right, Ron, I did lie. But I just wanted not to spoil your vacation!"

There was no response, and after a few seconds she looked up. Ron's chair was empty, and she looked around to find him dumping his uneaten goop in the trash, and he left the cafeteria without looking at her.

Tears started flowing from Kim's eyes as she looked at the closed door.

Just then Monique came up. "Hey, girl, the food must be bad if it's making you cry."

"Oh, Monique, I may have just ruined my friendship with Ron," she said, sniffing and trying to get herself under control.

"Kim, what happened?" Monique sat down and put her hand on Kim's arm.

"He found out I lied to him while I was Rufus-sitting," said Kim through fresh tears.

"Oh, he'll get over it," said Monique.

"You don't understand! Ron and I never lie to each other! I was just trying not to spoil his vacation!" said Kim, "Now he's mad at me, and with good reason."

"Then you need to find him and apologize," answered Monique.

"I don't think he'll listen right now," said Kim.

"Then give him some time to cool off. It's Friday, so you have all weekend," was the answer.

Kim nodded. "You're right as usual, Monique. Thanks." And she squeezed her friend's hand.

Ron avoided Kim the rest of the day, and she didn't press him. It made her feel bad to see him pointedly ignoring her, but she wanted to feel bad. She deserved it.

Still, she needed to make it up to him. She couldn't bear to lose her best friend over a lie. Then she realized what she had to do.

kpkpkp

Ten o'clock the next morning, Kim steeled herself and rang the doorbell of the Stoppable home.

Ron answered the door. "Oh, hey, KP, come in," he said, moving aside to let her enter.

Once inside he closed the door and they looked at each other.

"Kim--"

"Ron--"

They said at the same time, then paused, looking at each other.

"Kim, I'm not mad any more. Rufus told me what happened. It's not your fault he swallowed the chip and got rat-napped," Ron said.

"No, but lying to you about it was. I should have at least told you when you got home," she replied.

"Yeah, you should have," he replied, sadly.

"And it's not the first time I've lied to you, either. Remember last Hallowe'en with the Centurian Project?" she said.

He nodded.

"I want you to do something so I never lie to you again," said Kim with conviction.

He looked at her, confused.

"I- I want you to punish me," she said in a soft voice, eyes on the ground.

"WHAT? KP..." he said, startled.

"I mean it, Ron. If I don't make it up to you, you'll never be able to completely trust me again, and I couldn't stand that," she said.

"Kim, you don't have to do this. I understand," said Ron, turning red.

"Yes, I do. Please, Ron, for the sake of our friendship," she pleaded.

He sighed. "Well, how should I punish you?"

"That's up to you. I promise I'll take anything you do to me," she said.

His face scruntched up, thinking and confused. "Uh..."

"Tell me to quit cheer squad, make me stand up in the caff and tell everyone I lied to you, I dunno..." she said.

"Well, should I spank you or something?" he asked, turning redder. Those suggestions were out. Cheer squad was her life, and he would never humiliate her in a million years. Not deliberately, anyway.

"If you want to," she replied, turning red in her turn.

Ron turned away, thinking. He wasn't going to spank her; the idea of hurting Kim in any way was repulsive to him.

But maybe making the punishment fit the crime... He grinned to himself. He had just the thing!

"Monday is the first of the month, isn't it?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah, I think so," said Kim. What on earth was he thinking? she wondered.

He turned back to her. "Here's your punishment," he said.

Kim stood straighter, waiting. She looked him in the eye, to tell him she wasn't afraid.

"Starting Monday, and for the rest of the month, you have to be nice to Bonnie," he said.

Her jaw dropped.

"And I don't mean 'nice' by just being polite. You have to treat her like she was one of your best friends," he added.

In addition to her open mouth, she added her eyes bugging out.

"You have to be nice to her, no matter how nasty and snarky she is to you," he said.

"Ron, that's cruel and unusual punishment! Can't you make me do something else? I don't think I could do that!" Kim protested.

"Oh, so first you lie to me, then you break a promise?" he said, coldly.

Her shoulders slumped, defeated. "No, I'll do it," she said in a hollow tone.

"One other thing," he said, and she quickly looked up at him.

"There's MORE? You're gonna make me be nice to Bonnie for a month, and there's MORE?"  
she said.

"Yyyep," he answered.

"Okay, what?" she asked, looking down again.

"Any time you're NOT nice to Bonnie, for whatever reason, you have to come tell me as soon as possible, and I'll decide how much time to add to your punishment," he said, smiling.

Kim closed her eyes and thought. That was insidious! She never thought Ron could come up with something so clever. And horrible!

"I could just keep it to myself..." she murmured.

"Yeah, but that would be lying. I'm relying on your promise to be honest with me. I'm not gonna tell anyone, so nobody will be watching you," he said.

"But won't Bonnie be suspicious?" she asked, trying desparately to find a way out.

He shrugged. "If you want to tell her what's going on, that's your call. But I'd think twice before giving her that much power over you."

She sighed. "Okay, I agree. I'll do it. And I'll never ask you to punish me again!"

Ron felt a LITTLE bad for her. "If it makes you feel better, when it's over, the lying is forgotten, and you're forgiven."

She nodded. How was she going to live through the next month? she wondered.

He looked at a clock and clapped his hands. "Now that that's settled, it's nearly lunch.  
You up for some Bueno Nacho?"

She sighed and nodded. He headed out the door, her trailing in his wake.

kpkpkp

Monday morning found Kim Possible with her head in her locker at school, trying to find some class notes she left there.

"Well, if it isn't the fashion disaster," came a familiar voice, "Where's your loser boyfriend?" It was Bonnie Rockwaller, of course.

Kim sighed and gritted her teeth. Okay, Kim, you deserved this, now you can get through it. You can do anything! she told herself, but it didn't help.

She put on a bright smile, and turned to greet her rival.

It was gonna be a looooong month.

The End


End file.
